Ratchet device for switch mechanisms



April 21, 1931. J. ERICKSON 1,801,333

RATCHET DEVICE FOR SWITCH MECHANISMS Filed Oct. 28, 1926 John Erwksun Patented Apr. 21, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN ERICKSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AUTO- I MATIC ELECTRIC INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A GOR-PORILTIOIT OF DELAWARE RATGHET DEVICE FOR SWITCH MECHANISMS Application filed October 28, 1926. Serial No. 144,817.

The present invention relates in general to switch mechanisms, but is particularly concerned in the provision of an improved type of switch mechanism of thestcp by-step type.

f An object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein the principal operation is changed to enable the switch to be satisfactorily operated at speeds heretofore not possible. 7

Another object is to overcome the wear upon the pawl and ratchet and upon the elements supporting them by making it unnecessary for the pawl to at once overcome the inertia of the entire object to be moved by 15- it, as is the case with an ordinary type of pawl and ratchet mechanism.

A further object is to guard agamstan operating pawl bending the shaft carrying the ratchet mechanism.

In order to make the invention clear the same has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing as being applied to a vertical and rotary switch of a type commonly used in automatic telephone systems. A switch of 2 the foregoing type is shown and described in Patent No. 1,503,7 85 issued to John Erickson on Aug. 5, 1924.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a portion of a switch of the foregoing type to which the present invention has been applied; Fig. 2 1s a cross section of the shaft assembly, and

the associated Vertical pawl, takenon line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section of a portion of Fig. 1 taken'on lineB-Zi; Fig. 4 is a side view, in elevation, of a small portion of Fig. 1 as seen when looking in the (llrection of the arrow 4 and with the shaft elevated to its highest position: while Fig- 5. shows details of the assembly. Referring to the various figures the construction of the various parts of the switch This key slides in a groove 27 milled into the rotary unit 19. The pin 30 for holding the unit 19 to the shaft also extends into this groove and cooperates with a bent over portion of key 21 to limit the upward movement of the vertical unit with respect to the shaft. A spring 20 located in a second groove in unit 19 has one end fixedthereto and the other end secured to a lug extending from the washer 26. This construction is shown in Fig. 1. The tension of the spring is great enough to hold the unit 19 into engagement with the unit 7 and the pawl 23 cooperates with the ratchet teeth of unit 7 for elevating the shaft 6 in the same manner as heretomm.

In the operation of the ordinary type of pawl and ratchet drive theimpact of the pawl must be taken up by a relatively heavy mass comprising the shaft assembly, whereas in the present arrangement the impact of the pawl is absorbed and stored away by the spring 20 and the movement of the pawl is not delayed as is the case with the former arrangement. The movement of the shaft is slightly delayed, but this makes no diiierence as it will readily catch up with the ratchet unit long before the pawl has had time to restore and reoperate.

It will be noted that in Fig. 2 the unit 7 is shown separated from unit 19 a distance equal to one step. In actual operation however, the distance these units separate varies, the parts separating farther as the speed is increased. Ordinarily however, the speed is never such that the two parts separate the entire step.

Now in connection with the rotation of the shaft it will be seen that when a considerable mass is to be rotated by a ratchet wheel or drum of small diameter, as in the present dis-- closure, the driving force of the pawl is so great that when the pawl wedges itself between a fixed stop and the ratchet, as required to restrict the distance of rotation, it tends to bend the shaft. In order to guard against this occuring the ordinarily provided fixed stop is dispensed with and a movable stop is substituted. This movable stop consists of an element 9 which partly encircles the ratchet wheel and is just large enough to permit free movement of the ratchet. The element 9 is rotatably secured to the frame of the switch by means of a bracket 10 provided with a slot 24 which enables the element to be properly positioned to the right or left with respect to the shaft. The element 9 ispivoted to this bracket and properly spaced therefrom by a spacer and associated screws 1-6 and 17. A second slot 31: in the bracket IO-is also provided so that the element 9 may be properly positioned forward or back witharespect toits relation with the shaft.

-As previously stated, in the ordinary structurethe pawl strikes a fixed stop and wedges.

between the stop and ratchet, this tends to bend, the shaft. With, the, present design when the. rotary pawl has rotated the ratchet 19' one step it wedges itself between the ratchet wheel. and the movable pawl stop wiftl'itl'ieresult that the element moves on its pivot and forces any surplus energy applied to the pawl to be distributed to both sides of the ratchet, thereby preventing any bending of the shaft.

: drivenelement between saidel'ement and the pawl andj'ratjchet mechanism.

2.,I-n. a step by step mechanism,a ratchet, a shaft loosely mounted relatively tothe ratchet, a spring on said ratchet .operatively connected toy and supporting said shaft, and

a pawl, cooperating with the ratchet for elevating said shaftv ina step by step, manner through the medium of said ratchet and spring. I I

3. In an electromagnetically operated switch, a shaft,,ra,t chetj teeth unit's carried by said shaft through the medium of which the same may be elevated and rotated, means for securing one unit. in fixed relation to the shaft, means. for securing the otherunit in a restricted movable relation to the shaft. and a flexible connection between: said units. I

4. In a switch mechanism, a v shaft, a ratchet. element thereon and in movable relationtherewith, flexible means connecting the shaft and: element-tosupport' said shaftand a pawl cooperating with the ratchet element; for driving said shaft through the mediumof-sa-id'element andsaidflexiblemeans. 5', In a; switch mechanism, a sh aft,,a' pawl and ratchet mechanism for movingthe shaft,

a flexiblemeans for supporting and connect-' ingsaidf shaft to said mechanism, and means 5 for enabling the primary movement of" the ratchet mechanism to take place before any movement of the shaft occurs.

6. In a pawl and ratchet mechanism, a shaft, a ratchet element carried thereby, a pawl operated to engage said ratchet to drive said shaft through V the medium of said ratchet, a' movable stop engaged by the pawl after it has operated the shaft to limit the rotation of the shaft, and. an arm on said stop engagingthe shaft. toprevent excessive bending of the shaft after the pawl encounters said stop.

7. In a pawl andratchet mechanism, a shaft, aratchet carried thereby, a pawl operated to drive said ratchet and shaft,a stop engaged by the pawl and operating to limit the distance the shaft may be driven, and distribute any pressure applied to the ratchet, after the stop is encountered, to opposite sides 'of'the said shaft.

8. In a switch mechanism, a shaftarranged to be raised. vertically and then rotated, means for producing the vertical movement including aratchet element elastically connected to the shaft, andmeansfor producing the rotary movement'including'a ratchet element rigidly fixed to the shaft.

9. In a step by step mechanism, a shaft, a ratchet mechanism slidably mounted thereon, a pawl f'or'operatingsaid ratchet in a step by step manner, and resilientmeansconnecting said ratchet and said shaft so thatsaid shaft will operate subsequent. to each successive step. of said ratchet.

' 10. In a switch;mechanism, a shaft, a ratchet mechanism slidably mounted thereon, a pawl for operating said? ratchet in a step by step manner, and a resilient means connecting said shaft with said ratchet so that with each successivestep-of said: ratchet said shaft lags slightly, and. before the" next step of said ratchet is again in no-rmalposition.

11. Ina step by stepswitch mechanism, the combination of'a shaft, a ratchetmechanism flexibly connected thereto and a pawl for driving said ratchet, together with" other ratchet. mechanism fixedly secured to said shaft anda pawl for driving the same.

12. In a switch stepping mechanism, a shaft, a pawl and: ratchet mechanism for opcrating said shaft, and'a pivot-ed memberhaving two arms, 'one of, which is pressed" against the pawl when the pawl isoperating the shaft, and atthesame time the other-arm is pressed on the opposite side of the-shaft;

13. In a stepbyste'p switch mechanism, a shaft, a ratchet in fixed relation thereto, a pawl for operating said ratchet'in a stepby stepmanner, and a: pivoted lock'ing'm'ember' partially encircling said, ratchet and operated by said pawl to stop rotation; of said ratchet and act asa stop for said pawl, after- .each step. 1

14. In a stepby'step switch mechanism, a

vertically disposed shaft, a ratchet slidably mounted thereon, another ratchet fixedly secured to said shaft, a spring member connecting both of said ratchets flexibly together, means for operating said ratchets independent of one another to move said shaft vertically and to rotate said shaft, and means for limiting the movement of said first ratchet with respect to said shaft and said second ratchet.

15. In a switch mechanism, a shaft, a vertical operable ratchet mechanism slidably mounted on said shaft, a rotary operable ratchet mechanism fixedly secured to said shaft, independent means for operating said ratchets, a flexible connection between said ratchets, and a guiding member attached to said first ratchet and sliding in a groove in 7 said second ratchet, for limiting the movement of said first ratchet with respect to said second ratchet.

16. In a pawl and ratchet mechanism, a

shaft, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl for driving said ratchet, and means operated by said pawl to seize said ratchet and stop its movement and the movement of said pawl.

17. In a pawl and ratchet mechanism, a shaft, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl for driv ing said ratchet and shaft, and a movable member actuated into engagement with said ratchet by said pawl to stop said pawl and ratchet.

18. In a pawl and ratchet mechanism, a shaft, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl for driving said ratchet and shaft, and means encountered by said pawl and actuated thereby to seize said ratchet and stop the movement of said pawl and ratchet.

19. In a pawl and ratchet mechanism, a

shaft, a ratchet thereon, a pawl and ratchet 7 stop member extending around opposite sides of said ratchet, and a pawl for actuating said ratchet having a path of movement between a portion of said stop member and ratchet.

In witness, whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day of October, A. D.

JOHN ERICKSON. 

